The Best Ways to Beat Brain Fry

Stuck in a mental fog? Clear things up with these four research-backed moves

The Best Ways to Beat Brain FryStuck in a mental fog? Clear things up with these four research-backed moves

The next time you're struggling to think coherently, skip your usual caffeine fix and take a quick walk instead: Being in a green space may help combat brain fatigue, according to new findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

For the study, researchers hooked 12 people up to portable electroencephalography (EEG) devices to record their brainwave patterns, which can be used to help gauge levels of excitement, frustration, engagement, arousal, meditation, and more. The participants then walked through Edinburgh, Scotland, on a specific route that took them through both busy city streets and a park. During the walk, researchers tracked participants' brainwave activity, as well as their GPS location.

"Moving from an urban shopping street to green space showed reductions in arousal and frustration, indicating a reduction in stress levels," says Richard Coyne, PhD, one of the study authors and a professor of architectural computing at The University of Edinburgh. As such, Coyne says that taking a walk in the park appears to reduce cognitive overload and may help you overcome that brain dead feeling.

Why might green space have this kind of restorative effect? One theory, says Coyne: Nature provides the perfect balance of being interesting enough to hold your attention—but not so overstimulating that it prevents you from engaging in reflective and productive thought.

No park near your office? The next time you feel like you're suffering from a bad case of brain burnout, try out these tactics to help you refresh mentally:

Think happy thoughts
When you're stressed, your brain has trouble sending information from the amygdala (basically your brain's gatekeeper) to the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-level thinking, says Judy Willis, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Neurology. But focusing on something positive—like your upcoming vacation or a date that you're looking forward to—can help lower stress levels and increase the flow of information to your prefrontal cortex, she says. Translation: You'll actually be able to start thinking clearly again.

Hit YouTube
Research shows that humor has a similarly brain-calming effect, says Willis, so watching "Dave After Dentist" or the latest Jimmy Kimmel stunt can help. The videos won't just get you laughing—brain imaging research indicates that they may also increase motivation and perseverance and decrease stress so you can regain control of your mental facilities. That's two minutes well spent.

Get a hobby
Anything from learning how to crochet to running marathons works, so long as it satisfies two requirements: It has to be something you enjoy doing, and you have to be able to make clear, measurable progress while doing it. The kind of ongoing progress sends your brain a steady stream of the pleasure-inducing chemical dopamine, which will help make your mind more resistant to stress in general, says Willis. Plus, when you're feeling brain dead, you can think about your latest accomplishment for a restorative effect, says Willis.